Home \ EL Strategies from Dr. Kate

• Why is Academic English so important for striving readers?
• How can we as teachers help English Learners and struggling readers engage in academic discussion in class?
• How can teachers help English Learners feel motivated to engage in more challenging instruction unit to unit?

Why is Academic English so important for striving readers?
Academic English is a second language for every student we serve in K–12 classrooms. All students, regardless of linguistic heritage or academic proficiency, require explicit academic language instruction and daily mediated opportunities to flex their linguistic muscles for school-based purposes if they are going to make vibrant strides in our educational system. ^ Back to Top

How can we as teachers help English Learners and struggling readers engage in academic discussion in class?
By modeling and mediating routines such as Think-Pair-Share and Give One – Get One, students are offered a highly supportive and non threatening vehicle for learning with and from peers while developing their communicative competence in English. ^ Back to Top

How can teachers help English learners feel motivated to engage in more challenging instruction unit to unit?
All too frequently, students are hastily escorted into a new unit of study without taking stock of the content and skills they have acquired. English learners and striving readers will be more motivated to tackle challenging content if they have had an opportunity to celebrate their academic strides and establish short-term learning goals. This is why reflection after a Workshop is a key instructional component of READ 180 California. ^ Back to Top